Railroad signal device.



C. LISIMMONSF RAHROAD SIGNAL DEVICE- APPLICATION FILED AUG-8,1913.

1,175,56.. Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

, Sam/mam.

CLIFFORD L. SIMMONS, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO mum o. SWALEN, or oamon,

OHIO.

RAILROAD SIGNAL-DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented M r. 14 191 Application filed August 8, 1913. Serial No. 783,709.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD L. SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Railroad Signal Device, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the danger signals employed by the flagman of a railroad train to protect the same against the approach of another train, which signals usually, if not always, include a flag, a fu see, and a number of torpedoes; and the ob ect of the improvement is to provide a flag having in its handle a suitable receptacle forwhen he proceeds back from his train or the fusee and the torpedoes.

Thegeneral rule for protecting a train or obstruction by flag requires the flaginan to proceed back rapidly with danger signals, about a distance of one-half mile (88 rail lengths) where he must place one torpedo on the rail on the engineers side. He must then continue to go back to a point about one mile from his train (176 rail lengths), the distance increasing for a descending grade, where he must place two torpedoes on the rail on the engineers side, sixty feet (two rail lengths) apart, when he may re turn to the point where he placed the one torpedo, and remain there until recalled by the whistle of his engine; but if a passenger train is due within ten minutes he must remain there until it arrives. When he comes in he will remove the torpedo nearest the train, but the two torpedoes must be left on the rail as a caution to any following train. When the view is obstructed by fog or otherwise, and'when the flagman is called in from a descending grade, or at night, he must place a lighted fusee on the track, and one or more as may be necessary at other points to fully protect his train while he is returning. It is thus evident that when a fiagman leaves his train or an obstruction for the purpose of protecting the same, he must bev provided with a suitable flag, at least one fusee, and a number of torpedoes; else he may find himself at a considerable distance away from his train under conditions which require the use of all these signaling means, for want of which the proper signals for stopping an on-coming train cannot be given, which may result, and frequently does result, in great loss of life and property.

A railroad signal flag is usually mounted upon a solid wooden staff, the end of which is extended from the flag to form a handle for the flagman; and one or more fusees are frequently carried loosely or in a separate box or case, and a number of torpedoes are frequently carried loosely or in another separate box or case. It frequently happens that in the excitement incident to the sudden stopping of the train or the discovery of an obstruction, or by the confusion ,re sulting from the imposition of unusual or excessive duties upon the flagman, the flagnan will neglect or forget to provide himself with all the-necessary signaling means the obstruction for the purpose of protecting the same; and the distance he is required to proceed from the train or the obstruction is so great that when he discovers the neglect or omission it is frequently too late to rectify the same in time to prevent a destructive collislon or wreck. This difliculty, and the consequent danger, are overcome in the present invention by providing a hollow staff for the signal flag with a transverse partition in the upper portion and a suitable closure on the ends thereof, thus forming a receptacle for torpedoes in the upper end and a receptacle for a fusee in the lower end of the flag staff as illustrated in the accom- 1 panying drawing forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved signaling device; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the flag stafi' showing a number of torpedoes and a fusee located in the receptacles formed therein; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section showing the method of detachably securing the handle portion to the upper portion of the flag stafl'; Fig. i, a longitudinal section and fragmentary longi-' tudinal section showing the method of securing the cap closure on the upper end of the flag stafl"; and Fig. 5, a transverse section on line 5-5,' Fig. 4.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The flag staff is composed of the tubular stem portion 1, the hollow-cylindric torpedo receptacle 2 secured on the upper end of the tubular stem and provided with the detachable cap 3 on its upper end; and the are preferabl made of thin metal so that the flag sta will be sufiiciently light as well as strong for waving the flag 5, which is secured to one side of the staff.

The torpedo receptacle 2, as shown, may be formed slightly larger in diameter than the stem 1 of the staff, to provide suitable space for receiving a number of torpedoes 6; and the receptacle is preferably provided with a suitable bottom 7 forming a transverse partition across the flag staff near its upper end. The upper end of the torpedo receptacle is normally closed by the cap 3, the rim flange 8 of which cap telescopes around the rim ofthe stafl and is provided with one or moreinwardly directed pins 9,

which are adapted to enter and operate inv the inclined slots 10 provided in the rim of the staff, for detachably securing the cap thereon. Y 1 I p The hollow handle 4 of the flag staff is suitably shaped with a round closed lower end 11, and a tubular extension 12 is secured in its upper end and shaped to neatly telescope wi h1n the lower end of the tubular stem portion 1 of the staff. The stem portion of the stall is provided with an inwardly direet'ed pin 13, which is adapted to enter and operate in the inclined slot 14: in the rim of the handle extension, for detachably securing the handle to the stem. The

. upper rim 15 of the handle proper is shaped to form a stop for the lower rim .16 of the tubular stem when the telescope parts are rotated to bring the pin 13 to the inner end of the inclined slot 14. The hollow receptacle thus formed in the handle and stem torpedoes and when the device is inverted, by removing the handle the fusee is rendered readily accessible.

It is evident that by placing a number of in the receptacle at the upper end of the staff and a fusee in thereceptacle in the loweriend of the staff, the torpedoes and fusee will be present and available whenever and wherever the flag is carried by the flagman in the, performance of his duties, and cannot be left behind by the forgetfulness'or neglect of the flagman in case of excitement or confusion.

I claim:

l. A signal flag having a hollow staff with a transverse partition near one end a detachable cap on the same end and a hollow handle detachably secured to the other end thereby forming a receptacle for torpedoes or the like in one end portion and a receptacle for a fusee or the like in the other end portion of the stafl. I

2. A signal flag having a hollow stafi' with a receptacle for torpedoes or the like formed in one end portion, and a hollow handle detachably secured to the other end portion forming in conjunction with the hollow stall a receptacle for a fusee or the like.

CLIFFORD L. SIMMONS. 

